Meals On Wheels Partners with Humane Society of Sarasota County To Establish Pet Program for MOW Clients

Receives Grants From the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Meals On Wheels America

Knowing that isolated seniors with pets are 36% less likely to report loneliness and have 21% fewer doctor visits, Meals on Wheels of Sarasota (MOW) is proud to announce it has received a $2500 grant from Meals on Wheels America and a $5,000 grant from The Mary Scharf Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support its PETLove Program. Funding will be used to provide food, supplies and animal care – all of which can be financially and physically burdensome to seniors. The Sarasota program will support nearly 100 companion pets that belong to clients living in northern Sarasota County who receive MOW meals six days a week.

Marjorie Broughton, MOW Executive Director, expressed her appreciation for the support, noting, “Twenty percent of the disabled and elderly clients of Sarasota-based Meals on Wheels have dogs and cats that will qualify for care. We are excited to be teaming with the Humane Society of Sarasota County, who will be providing basic clinic services for our clients’ pets.”

In total, Meals on Wheels America has granted $300,000 to 162 Meals on Wheels programs across America through the 2016 Meals on Wheels Loves Pets initiative. Funding is made possible in part through a donation from the Banfield Charitable Trust, which in October 2015 handed over all funding and grants administration responsibilities for their popular Pet Assistance Grant Program to Meals on Wheels America. To date, the grant program has distributed more than $2.1 million in funding and pet food donations to over 300 local Meals on Wheels programs across the nation.

“The Meals on Wheels Loves Pets initiative is another way that Meals on Wheels can deliver so much more than just a meal,” said Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander. “Through grant funding, educational opportunities and in-kind donations for our member programs, we hope to grow current pet programs and help those looking to start new ones.”

The MOW network exists in virtually every community in America, and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.